John M Upton

N gauge is more tricky admittedly. In that scale I regard all 'non runner' and 'spares/repairs' lots as parts donors as will only pay accordingly (unfortunately since Farish themselves now seem to think an exorbitant fifty quid just for a body shell is a reasonable price, prices for non runners have skyrocketed as a result) and sometimes you get lucky, other times you have more bits for your spare parts box.

Arrrrrgggghhhh!!! Us HO scale followers just got buried under another tidal wave of Model Power landfill. Seriously, where do they keep finding it?!?

Generally my experience of DCC fitted non runners is once you sling the DCC chip in the bin and either fit a blanking plug or hardwire the wires back together, that more often than not solves the problem.

I have actually tried sawing off the bottom of the split head code ends but with mixed (i.e. wonky!!) results!!!

It's been a while but this afternoon I decided to crack on and get the lights working:

Here is the direct link to the RoS one: https://railsofsheffield.com/products/Bachmann-trains-42907-flashing-led-end-of-train-device Currently out of stock though.

Hello I am trying to track down a copy of the June 1972 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. I have tried ebay and there are a few in the US with eyewateringly ridiculous postage costs but none in the UK. Looks like this: (Image borrowed from US ebay listing only for reference) Anyone have one going spare please? Happy to pay reasonable amount and cost of postage. Many thanks!

Seem to have been a lot of undecorated Athearn Blue Box GP9's (I use the term GP9 loosely as it is a bit of a mongrel in its details) suddenly come through in the last week, despite being identical, they all commanded different prices for no readily apparent reason.

The existing Farish Class 37 body is not in need of retooling (despite the clamor from certain areas of Social Media who get all umpty when something has not been retooled for at least six months) but does need one new end for the most common variant, split head code with cut buffer beam shrouds and retaining the centre doors, for some reason this variant was never tooled up, the nearest being the later variant with doors replaced with blank panel and a high intensity headlight, useless for anything pre 1986. Of course the retooling of the chassis to incorporate all the techno gimmicks will hike up the price for us analog dinosaurs who have no interest in such things and that does annoy me a bit...

Network Rail Class 153 153376 is spending the weekend snuggled down in the old freight bay platform at Barnham. There is a picture somewhere of the Bulleid Leader 36001 in exactly the same position somewhere!!!

Seems to be an out and back trip on all weekdays except Tuesdays according to my reliable sources, Merehead to Crawley New Yard via the Coastway West and Arun Valley and return working in the evening. A 59 was on it today. Explains all the Freightliner route learning trips a few weeks back.

I read said article and quite frankly, what a load of proverbial reproductive sphericals...

I picked up a Proto 1000 Budd RDC off ebay the other day, supposedly never been used or the box opened. Reeked of Old Holborn like a 1960's east end boozer and had a distinctive yellow/brown hue or tinge to it which I presume wasn't intended to be a weathering effect of brake dust. Fortunately, a bath in soapy warm water and a toothbrush saw off the worst of it and left a slightly weathered finish that actually looks the part, but more importantly got rid of the smell. Had to bin the box and inner packaging though.

Engineers train through Barnham this morning: The wagon formations are a bit dull now, I used to like it where you would see a couple of grotty old OAA/OBA/OCA rattling along at the back.

The utterly ridiculous AI created description fails to hide that this is a wreck. What on Earth has happened to the front bogie/truck though, it looks like someone gouged out the centre of it?!? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285599524957

I think people have to remember that actually everyone should be paying tax on all purchases regardless, it is only the way the system operated that gave many a nice discount with the only the occasional tax payment plus fee demand. As IT accounting technology has improved, the Governments of many countries are simply closing the loop holes that many have been lucky to be able to take advantage of.

Given how utterly awful the Royal Mail service seems to have descended to recently, the guaranteed 24/48 hour thing is meaningless. I paid extra for guaranteed 24 hour ParcelForce delivery a couple of weeks ago and it took over a week to be delivered.

I managed to get hold of just one VEA from the first release and have been very pleased with it, nestling in among my NGS kits built ones and warmed over ye ancient tooling Farish VAA's. I shall get some more!!

Never ever EVER use Evri, not even if your life depends on it!

How about splashing out a hundred and ninety five sheets on a one photo listing, that photo being so badly out of focus that it could be Lord Lucan riding Shergar and with a description that most definantly does not even closely resemble said blurred mess? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386376349633

Hmmm, not sure about the VEP now although it did move under its own power under SWT ownership after the slammers, Lymington oddities excepted, had been binned, I still cannot see what 313201 will actually be any good for though, trundling up a short bit of track at 5mph inside Eastleigh Works a couple of times a year for eternity seems to be rather pointless and away from the third rail it is nothing more than a paperweight that no heritage line will touch with a bargepole. I looked at the preservation groups Facebook page and some of the comments and suggestions from some right nutters that have been posted are at best seriously ill informed and at worst, just plain laughable.

Where is the 'How did they manage that far without it either catching fire or breaking down?' response button when you need it... First non NRM third rail to run under own power? Try 4-VEP 3417...

As an analogue dinosaur, I look forward to everyone upgrading their 47's so I can snap a couple of the old ones up at sensible prices!!! No need for all that overly complicated technogimmerickery here....

Is it my imagination or do the depot signals still proudly hold onto the Bournemouth West prefix?

Is the Chessie one still carrying it's custom job? Whoever is doing it must be doing an awful lot of careful planning, (I suspect some inside help) as it requires a loco from the right fallen flag to be in a suitable location (presumably aware from prying eyes) with all the correct paint and markings to hand in the right conditions and with enough time to apply it, and all supposedly without getting caught by CSX officials or anyone else! Nice work though. Also a good study in GP front ends, debunking the myth that they are all the same....